Six injured in Penngrove SUV crash

Five teenagers were among six people taken to the hospital with minor to serious injuries Sunday night after the SUV they were in flipped, the CHP reported, saying the crash was one of three over the weekend involving teenage drivers.

The rollover crash, reported shortly after 9 p.m. in the 2400 block of Roberts Road in Penngrove, was likely the result of unsafe speed, CHP Officer Jon Sloat said.

The 16-year-old driver was headed west on Roberts Road at about 75 mph when she lost control of the GMC Yukon she was driving, Sloat said. She broke her arm in the crash.

A 15-year-old girl, whose residence is unknown, was thrown from the SUV when it overturned. She suffered severe head trauma, Sloat said. An unidentified 17-year-old boy from Santa Rosa, 21-year-old Martin Rodriguez of Clearlake, and 19-year-old Cristian Bahena-Zargoza of Sebastopol all suffered minor injuries. All five occupants were rushed to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The sixth passenger, a 14-year-old boy from Santa Rosa, was uninjured, Sloat said.

Another crash took place early Saturday morning on Highway 12 east of Stony Point Road. Witnesses reported seeing four people run from the vehicle, Sloat said.

Officers eventually found someone matching the driver's description at a nearby shopping center, Sloat said. The man, Rogelio Martinez, 19, of Santa Rosa, denied being involved in the crash. However, he had a wound on his head and was the registered owner of the vehicle, Sloat said. Martinez refused to perform field tests to determine whether he was drunk. A records check showed that he was on felony probation for robbery, Sloat said.

Officers arrested him on suspicion of DUI, hit and run and violation of probation.

The third crash, also a hit-and-run, happened at around 5 p.m. Sunday evening on Petaluma Hill Road north of Hunter Lane.

An officer responding to the scene found a Dodge Colt in a front yard. Witnesses told the officer they had seen people walk away from the car. The officer found two people walking north on Petaluma Hill Road and another two, including the 15-year-old driver, hiding in bushes about three-quarters of a mile from the crash.

Nobody was injured. The driver, from Santa Rosa, showed signs of intoxication, Sloat said. He was arrested and booked into juvenile hall on charges of DUI, hit and run and driving without a license.

The CHP is offering a "Start Smart" class on safe driving for teens and their parents April 8.

Anyone wishing to sign up can call 588-1400.

You can reach Staff Writer Jamie Hansen at 521-5205 or jamie.hansen@pressdemocrat.com.